Chapter 13: Catch!

Sui Lingfang felt that Jin Li, including her name and everything about her, carried a certain "koi fish" luck.

Otherwise, how could things be such a coincidence? Just as she was feeling sleepy, someone handed her a pillow; just as she lacked a debut stage to return to the public eye, someone came rushing to offer one.

The large-scale talent show "PICK~ Next Station Diva" had already been discussed online for several rounds before it even aired.

If one were to talk about the hottest stage recently, this talent show was undoubtedly it.

But Sui Lingfang felt that something was a bit off.

If this offer hadn't come from a celebrity, but rather from the platform itself, she would have felt much more at ease.

After hanging up the negotiation call, Sui Lingfang nudged Zou Da with her elbow and asked, "Hey, have you ever heard of a female celebrity named Lian Baozhi?"

Zou Da replied without a second thought, "Lian Baozhi, the new generation's goddess of otaku, famous for being glamorous and bold. She just rose to the status of a first-tier celebrity this year. Who hasn't heard of her name?"

The entertainment industry has a strict hierarchy. Based on comprehensive data from each year, the association announces a list of first-tier celebrities at the end of the year.

This list is known in the industry as the "Life and Death Ranking."

Which celebrity fell from first-tier to second-tier, and which celebrity rose from second-tier to first-tier—you can tell just by looking at this list.

Apart from the legitimate first-tier celebrities who are registered with official organizations, other second- or third-tier celebrities have no name or status; official institutions don't even recognize them as celebrities.

In the eyes of official institutions, only first-tier celebrities can be called celebrities. As for the others, at best, they are just ordinary people with a bit of popularity.

Terms like second-tier, third-tier, or "eighteenth-tier" are just things people in the industry say for fun; there is no specific evaluation standard, and they are ranked according to their popularity over the last six months.

Sui Lingfang said, "I'm not talking about her fame, but what is her character like?"

Zou Da spread his hands, "The company she is with is LP Company, a very famous big company in the industry. They have many resources and many celebrities. It’s not simple for anyone to carve out a path from there. Our company has never collaborated with LP, so how would I be able to find that out?"

Sui Lingfang sighed, "That’s exactly why I’m worried! Internal competition at LP Company is fierce; there are over a dozen female celebrities who have been pushed to first-tier status.

Why would Lian Baozhi choose anyone else? Why did she have to pick Jin Li as her partner? Isn't she afraid that Jin Li will steal her spotlight?"

Zou Da went online to check the profile of LP Company. Suddenly, he saw something and his eyes lit up, "Ji Qinglian is also at LP Company. Let Jin Li ask her, and she’ll know."

Sui Lingfang hesitated, "But, I heard their relationship as former bandmates isn't exactly..."

"Even if it’s not great, they were in a group together after all. As long as there’s no bad blood, what’s there to worry about? Relationships are built over time, aren't they?"

Zou Da said, "If you’re really worried, why not leave this matter to Jin Li and let her make the decision herself?"

Sui Lingfang didn't want Jin Li to miss such a great comeback stage, but she was also worried that Lian Baozhi had ill intentions.

After thinking it over, she finally made a call and told Jin Li about the matter.

Inside the luxury studio apartment.

Jin Li had just finished lunch and was preparing to rest when she received the call from Sui Lingfang.

After hanging up, a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes.

Lian Baozhi?

Never heard of her.

Ever since she was forced to recuperate due to poor health, Jin Li had become a homebody. She didn't like going out and was addicted to binge-watching dramas, TV shows, anime, and reading novels.

Afraid of being triggered and having her emotions become too agitated, which would affect her health, Jin Li rarely even watched entertainment news.

It could be said that the original owner really tried very hard to stay alive for the sake of her health.

Unable to figure it out, she stopped thinking about it. Jin Li sent a message to Ji Qinglian, asking her to help make the decision.

Not long after she sent it, Ji Qinglian called her via voice chat.

Her voice was a bit breathless, sounding as if she had just walked out of a dance studio. She started by saying, "Li-bao, why don't you just not take this offer?"

Ji Qinglian's voice was crisp and sweet. Her high notes were explosive—sharp and thin, yet very powerful—which didn't match her soft and delicate name at all.

Back in the group, she was responsible for the explosive high notes in the latter half of songs. She could save even the most disastrous live performances; her sense of pitch was excellent.

Jin Li asked curiously, "Is there something wrong with this person, Lian Baozhi?"

Ji Qinglian hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "It’s not that there’s something 'wrong' with her, I just think she is too calculating—or rather, too good at scheming.

She only debuted three years ago. Even though she signed with LP Company, without any real strength of her own, it’s not simple to have reached first-tier status in just three years."

Ji Qinglian paused, then continued, "I’ve heard friends complain that when she was still just a third-tier celebrity, she dared to snatch jobs from second-tier celebrities."

Jin Li was surprised, "How did she snatch them? The status levels are different; wouldn't the organizers disagree?"

Ji Qinglian said, "Of course she didn't snatch them from the popular second-tier stars, but from the more marginal ones. LP Company has no shortage of such celebrities.

I heard she once bribed staff members to deliberately report the wrong time, making the organizers wait indefinitely for the original person, and then she would volunteer herself to step in.

Besides this method, there are other ways. Anyway, she has plenty of disgusting tactics. Once or twice might be nothing, but when she did this too often and was discovered, it even escalated to the company's top management."

Jin Li asked, "What did the top management say?"

Ji Qinglian said indignantly, "The top management said that Lian Baozhi has a great sense of competition and everyone should learn from her. If everyone had this kind of ambition, why worry about not becoming a first-tier celebrity!"

If that were all, it would be one thing.

But because of this incident, Lian Baozhi caught the eye of the top management, who decided to tilt some resources toward her and support her all the way. It only took her three years to become a first-tier celebrity.

This made the celebrities who had been struggling at LP for many years feel very cold-hearted!

But what could they do?

Lian Baozhi had already become a first-tier celebrity. Whenever she appeared at the company, except for those of equal status, other celebrities—regardless of age—had to call her "Senior" when they saw her.

The entertainment industry is such a realistic place.

Jin Li understood, "So, you're worried she'll use these tactics against me?"

Ji Qinglian was a bit anxious, "She is such a profit-seeking person; inviting you to be her partner must mean she wants to gain something from you. Her first-tier status is inflated; I suspect she wants to step on you to climb higher."

Jin Li thought for a while, lowered her eyelashes, and asked softly, "Qinglian, are you unable to handle things on your end?"

Ji Qinglian was silent for a moment, then spoke with great difficulty, almost on the verge of tears.

"My manager doesn't agree. This is the first time since I signed that I've begged him, but he won't agree. I've been a first-tier celebrity for four years, and I just wanted to help a former teammate, but he won't allow it."

The manager said that a celebrity like Jin Li has no collaborative value.

Now that she seems to have made a comeback, she might retire again someday due to her health, so he refused to give up the partner slot.

Sometimes Ji Qinglian wondered if she was really a first-tier celebrity recognized by the public, or just a first-tier puppet pushed out by LP.

She had no say at all!

Jin Li comforted her with a gentle voice, "Don't cry. I'll come over to record the show with you, and we can meet up."

Ji Qinglian was stunned, "You—"

Jin Li smiled, her eyes as bright as stars, "I've decided to take this offer! If she wants to step on me to climb higher, she'll have to see if she has the ability to do so!"

(End of chapter)